Written by

Catharine Hadley

Staff writer

Cheerleading contest at the fair: First cheerleading contest at the Ottawa County Fair was Wednesday

Members of the Woodmore Junior High cheerleading squad celebrate as it is announced they are the champions during the cheerleading competition at the Ottawa County Fair on Wednesday. To see a video from the competition visit www.portclintonnewsherald.com. / Jonathon Bird/News Herald

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SALEM TOWNSHIP -- The Ottawa County Fair's first countywide cheerleading competition featured cheers, dancing and tumbling -- and plenty of enthusiasm from the participants and the crowd.

The squad from Woodmore Junior High School won the event Wednesday night in front of the fairground grandstands.

"This is our first year for the event," Beth Lepper, the fair secretary, said as she helped to tape down the thick foam mats placed on a tarpaulin over the dirt and gravel track.

After the performances by the Woodmore team and middle school and peewee squads from Oak Harbor, plus an individual performance by Sky Ullrich, the girls gathered on the mat to await the results.

They couldn't sit still for long, and quickly started an impromptu cheering and dancing session.

"We really wanted to get this thing under way," said Jon Overmyer, the fair board treasurer and emcee for the event.

"You being here tonight is the start of something great," he said. "There's no losers here tonight. We're just tickled to have you here."

Jill Bench, the adviser for the 19 girls on the Woodmore squad, said they were happy to have a chance to perform in front of a crowd during the summer. "Extremely excited. I just talked to the other coaches. All of us have just learned these routines," she said.

Shelly Schultz and Erica Ager work with the Oak Harbor Pee Wee squad -- 10- and 11-year-olds who are preparing to enter fifth and sixth grades.

The women said the school system hasn't had a pee wee squad for several years, and Wednesday's event was the first performance for the new group.

"They're very nervous and very excited," Ager said.

"They just learned this routine two weeks ago," Schultz said.

The 17 girls on the squad learned their routine in three days, and have been working hard ever since.

"Tumbling is huge right now," Ager said.

"This is great practice. They just went to camp to weeks ago, so they're excited," Melissa Niederhouse, the adviser for the Oak Harbor Middle School squad, said.